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Detroit, 8:29 AM
Sun Nov 29
8 posts in the last 24 hours

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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of philibuster philibuster
    08/21/09

    In reply to Audi A4 Allroad Features Headlamp Converter For Euro Market
    I have one of these on my car. It's called a screwdriver.
     Reply
    philibuster was starred philibuster was unstarred
    Image of dwegmull comments for the purpose of obscurity dwegmull comments for the purpose of obscurity
    08/21/09

    In reply to Audi A4 Allroad Features Headlamp Converter For Euro Market
    Ben,
    Who (k)new?

    /Syntax nazi
     Reply
    dwegmull comments for the purpose of obscurity was starred dwegmull comments for the purpose of obscurity was unstarred
    Image of TimTim TimTim
    08/21/09

    In reply to Audi A4 Allroad Features Headlamp Converter For Euro Market
    You know what they say: If it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features.
    This is a thoughtful feature, but, from an engineer who occasionally designs user interfaces, this seems to be another case of 'user interface designed by an engineer'. 'On' and 'Off' aren't very descriptive of what's going on here, you turn headlights on and off, but you don't convert them on and off, you convert them from right hand to left hand or some such... and if you've got a fancy digital readout able to show whatever you please, don't make me dig out the manual just to translate 'on' and 'off' to something tangible.

    Dilbert's head turned inside out from too much time on a UI designed by an engineer. I try to remember this while I'm working, Audi should do the same.

    Neat feature though.
     Reply
    TimTim was starred TimTim was unstarred
    Image of bradleysoken bradleysoken
    08/21/09

    In reply to Audi A4 Allroad Features Headlamp Converter For Euro Market
    Um, i'm sorry if this is a repost, but aren't the differences between US and euro code headlights a bit more than that?

    as far as i know, euro code headlights have a very distinct horizontal cut-off with a tiny amount of light directed up and to the side to illuminate signs but not blind people.

    whereas the US headlights just have the driver's side turned down a bit and a small amount of light is still directed above the car's driving plane to illuminate overhead signs. (not just to the side)
     Reply
    bradleysoken was starred bradleysoken was unstarred
    Image of Joshuman Joshuman
    08/21/09

    @bradleysoken: Things may have changed with the advent of HID lighting, I don't know. I do know that you are correct about beam patterns on incandescent bulbs and their headlight glass. The European beam pattern is far superior. I replaced my MkII Jetta's wimpy rectangular lights with quad rounds (this is a very common conversion). I went from a total of 120 watts to 400 watts at high beam. Those flamethowers were very useful for dodging deer at highway speeds.
     Reply
    FP - Activity resumes! promoted this comment Joshuman was starred Joshuman was unstarred
    Image of sos10 sos10
    08/21/09

    In reply to Audi A4 Allroad Features Headlamp Converter For Euro Market
    Why make this a feature that you have to change manually? just make the GPS change the headlight positions automatically when driving in the old UK.
     Reply
    sos10 was starred sos10 was unstarred
    Image of IronicalBalls IronicalBalls
    08/21/09

    In reply to Audi A4 Allroad Features Headlamp Converter For Euro Market
    I bet out of all super cars the Audi R8 is loved exceptionally by females compared to other makers. Guys would never read the drivers manual in detail and thus would never have cared about this option.
     Reply
    beercheck promoted this comment IronicalBalls was starred IronicalBalls was unstarred
    Image of brc is never late, because of his v8 brc is never late, because of his v8
    08/21/09

    In reply to Audi A4 Allroad Features Headlamp Converter For Euro Market
    meh the E39 has little metal handles to flick the beam over, covered with special little clear plastic caps. So much more drama to lift the lid and ceremoniously flick over the lights from left to right. Going in through some ipod menu is soo much less fun.
     Reply
    beercheck promoted this comment brc is never late, because of his v8 was starred brc is never late, because of his v8 was unstarred
    Image of UDMan UDMan
    08/21/09

    In reply to Audi A4 Allroad Features Headlamp Converter For Euro Market
    No disrespect to all the engineers in the house, but this is another example of over-engineering. Other than Europe, where else is this feature useful, and it's only when you cross the channel that it would be useful.

    Can we all just have less "technology", and get rid of all the frivolity?
     Reply
    UDMan was starred UDMan was unstarred
    Image of cchannel BLT cchannel BLT
    08/21/09

    @UDMan: Maybe all they had to do to add the feature was create an iphone app for it.
     Reply
    UDMan promoted this comment cchannel BLT was starred cchannel BLT was unstarred
    Image of Turbineguy - now with reheat!! Turbineguy - now with reheat!!
    08/21/09

    @UDMan: Like BMW's "Gentleman function"? Ok.
     Reply
    UDMan promoted this comment Turbineguy - now with reheat!! was starred Turbineguy - now with reheat!! was unstarred
    Image of B1663R B1663R
    08/21/09

    @UDMan: don't forget Japan and Australia... they drive all cock-eyed too.
     Reply
    B1663R was starred B1663R was unstarred
    Image of FTGDWolverineEdition'09 FTGDWolverineEdition'09
    08/21/09

    @UDMan: I actually don't mind this. Could be useful. If you live in England I guess.
     Reply
    FTGDWolverineEdition'09 was starred FTGDWolverineEdition'09 was unstarred
    Image of sos10 sos10
    08/21/09

    @B1663R: Unlikely you would drive or take your car to Japan or Australia... but I did "drive" my car to the UK (but didn't bother to change the lighting positions.
     Reply
    sos10 was starred sos10 was unstarred
    Image of Brian Brian
    08/21/09

    @B1663R: True, but I think UDMan's point was, where else do people bring their cars for holiday/business? Folks usually don't bring their cars to Oz or Japan when they visit.
     Reply
    FP - Activity resumes! promoted this comment Brian was starred Brian was unstarred
    Image of MushyHeirloom MushyHeirloom
    08/21/09

    @Brian B: Correct. Holiday in France? Bring the car. Holiday in New Zealand? Hell, the dog would be lucky to be allowed that trip.
     Reply
    MushyHeirloom was starred MushyHeirloom was unstarred
    Image of area_educator area_educator
    08/21/09

    @UDMan: I disagree. They've piggybacked it onto another, existing function. And why not? If you've got adaptive headlights, it's trivial to add a few lines of code to the software to allow a function like this.

    It's like cruise control on a throttle-by-wire car. Why wouldn't you?

    If you enable it only on UK or Euro cars, you will inevitably hear some complaining from other buyers.
     Reply
    Edited by area_educator at 08/21/09 6:07 PM area_educator was starred area_educator was unstarred
    Image of monsterajr monsterajr
    08/21/09

    In reply to Audi A4 Allroad Features Headlamp Converter For Euro Market
    Hi tech German fix to what normally is accomplished by a bit of electrical tape when going from/to UK/Continent.
     Reply
    jbownsabmw- Koopas Beware promoted this comment monsterajr was starred monsterajr was unstarred
    Image of jbownsabmw- Koopas Beware jbownsabmw- Koopas Beware
    08/21/09

    @monsterajr: Electrical tape on the brand new Audi? You must be mad!
     Reply
    jbownsabmw- Koopas Beware was starred jbownsabmw- Koopas Beware was unstarred
    Image of monsterajr monsterajr
    08/21/09

    @jbownsabmw- Koopas Beware: mad I am, but so too am I cheap!
     Reply
    monsterajr was starred monsterajr was unstarred
    Image of Das ASHloch (achtundsiebzig) Das ASHloch (achtundsiebzig)
    08/21/09

    In reply to Audi A4 Allroad Features Headlamp Converter For Euro Market
    I am the way and the truth and the high-intensity discharge lights.
     Reply
    Das ASHloch (achtundsiebzig) was starred Das ASHloch (achtundsiebzig) was unstarred
    Image of area_educator area_educator
    08/21/09

    @Ash78: A different converter makes them always face East.
     Reply
    area_educator was starred area_educator was unstarred
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